Staff
Mr D A Bishop BSc (Head of Department)
Aims
Initially the aim is to provide an introduction to Geology. It is appreciated that much of Geology will appear alien and unfamiliar to students, so the initial task is to ensure that geological skills, including investigative skills through field-work, are introduced early.
The AS course begins with a Foundation Unit which introduces Geology through the basic principles and briefly covers the topics of the internal structure of the earth, rocks and minerals, fossils and the geological timescale, and plate tectonics. The course is completed with a unit on “geological hazards' such as volcanoes and earthquakes.
The A2 course comprises 3 units. The Extension Geology unit does what it says and extends the knowledge and skills of the AS course in all aspects of rocks, minerals, fossils, structural geology and geological maps. There is an Options unit where two themes will be chosen. The third unit is an assessed geological investigation.
In short, the aim is to encourage the development of an enquiring mind through an investigative approach, an awareness and understanding of the Key Skills, of geological skills and concepts and of factual knowledge, and an appreciation of the relevance of Geology to social, economic and environmental issues.
Field work
Field work is considered an essential part of the study of Geology and students are taken on residential courses in both the Sixth Form and the Seventh Form. Recent trips have seen the department in Derbyshire, studying the carboniferous limestones and the spectacular Mam Tor landslide, and in the Lake District, collecting evidence for A2 field work. There are plans to visit the dinosaur coast of North Yorkshire. Several days are spent in the field at a variety of locations, such as Clitheroe Salt-Hill Quarry, a site of special geological interest, and Alderley Edge, which is famous for its “foxy red” desert sandstones, King Arthur and witches.
Most of the students in recent years have gone on to university to study geological related degrees for a further 3 years or more. This has enabled several BGSB Old Boys to take up jobs with oil companies and companies that specialise in geological surveys.
Resources
The Geology Department is located in room UW, along the corridor towards the Science Department. There is space for 12 double desks, which is ideal for A Level teaching. The double desks allow for practical work on the rocks, fossils and minerals to be done by the students. The Department is very well resourced in terms of samples, which are all easily accessed from the store room in room.